Cap for barrel tap opening



Nov. 20, 1962 c. w. FERM 3,064,849

CAP FOR BARREL TAP OPENING Filed Sept. 5. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V ENTOR.

s? CARL \XI.FERM

ATTORN EYS Nov. 20, 1962 c. w. FERM CAP FOR BARREL TAP OPENING 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1958 Fie. Z

FIG. 7

INVENTOR. CARL W. PERM BY WW ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1962 c. w. FERM3,064,849

CAP FOR BARREL TAP OPENING Filed Sept. 5, 1958 r 3 Sheets-Sheet a Fie.IO

PRINTING OF HEATING OF VACUUM SHEET STOCK a SHEET 3 FORMING l 33 LSEPARATION OF CAPS FROM SHEET INVENTOR.

CARL W. PERM ATTORNEYS Unite States atet free

3.064.849 CAP FDR BARREL TAP OPENING Carl W. Ferm, Grand Rapids, Mich.,assignor to D & F Engineering, Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporationof Michigan Filed Sept. 5, 1958. Ser. No. 764,474

2 Claims. (Cl. 217-114) This invention relates to disposable caps forbeer barrels and more particularly to a disposable, vacuum formed,snap-on plastic cap for covering the tap opening of the barrel.

Previously, caps of this type have been manufactured by molding themfrom plastic materials. This has not been entirely satisfactory becauseof the dificulty of applying the printed indicia to the surface of thecap. Most breweries desire and many jurisdictions require by statutethat the name of the beer be applied to the cap. Meeting thisrequirement has proved to be expensive and difiicult with molded caps.

The shape and flexibility of the caps make it virtually impossible toapply this printing by means other than silk screens. The nature of thecaps requires separate application of the silk screen to each individualcap. This is so slow and expensive that it virtually renders the capseconomically impractical. Further, the rough surface of the caps,particularly at the edges, causes rapid wear of the silk screens. Thisproblem is so serious that the silk screens normally have but a fractionof their expected life. This situation further increased the cost of thecaps. The same dificulty was experienced whether or not the caps had theform of the indicia molded as a raised impression on their surface. Theuse of a raised impression requires individual dies for every make ofbeer, eliminating the economies of mass production.

This invention has eliminated this problem by making it possible toutilize sheet stock on which the indicia is printed by suitable meanssuch as a silk screen. Thus, the indicia for twenty, fifty or onehundred caps is printed simultaneously in one pass of the press. Theprinted sheet is then blanked to form disks of the desired size. Theseare subsequently heated and vacuum formed to shape. This can be donewithout distortion of the printing. The surface of the sheet stock issmooth and excessive wear of the screens is eliminated. By this method,the cost of the caps is reduced materially and a single cap design canbe used for all brands.

In addition, this invention provides a cap having a firmer grip wheninstalled on the barrel and a tighter seal around the tap opening. Thisreduces the possibility of loss in transit and more effectivelyrestricts the entrance of dirt into the area of the tap opening.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will beimmediately understood by those acquainted with the design and use ofthe barrels such as those used for beer upon reading the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan view of my improved cap.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view taken along the plane IlII showingthe cap installed on the barrel.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation view taken alongthe plane lllll1 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation view taken alongthe plane IVIV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional enlarged sectional view taken alongthe plane VV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged oblique partially broken view of myimproved cap.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation view or" my improvedcap.

giving the fingers 23 an inward inclination.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic presentation of a method of making my improvedcap.

FIG. 9 is a broken view of a sheet which has been printed ready forforming.

FIG. 10 is a schematic presentation of a section of a vacuum mold forforming one of the caps.

FIG. 11 is a somewhat schematic view of the mold showing a group ofcavities.

In executing the objects and purposes of this invention, I form a cap byfirst imprinting on a sheet of suitable synthetic resinous stock thedesired indicia for a plurality of the caps. The printed sheet is heatedby suitable means such as infra-red radiation and placed on a vacuummold containing a plurality of cavities, each of which will form one ofthe caps. The sheet is then drawn to the shape of the finished caps bypulling it simultaneously into all of the cavities of the mold by meansof the vacuum. This mold is chilled to set the caps substantiallyimmediately upon contact. This sheet is then passed through a machinewhich cuts the individual caps from the sheet. The caps are then readyfor use.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 refers to a caphaving a wide outer or peripheral flange l1 and a circular, centralportion 12 separated from the peripheral flange 11 by a circular troughl3. Adjacent the perimeter of the peripheral flange 11, the cap has ashallow, circular, depressed ridge 14. The purpose of this ridge 14 willappear more fully hereinafter. The peripheral flange 11 and the centralportion 12 are flat and co-planar.

The trough 13 is generally V-shaped with downwardly converging inner andouter walls 20 and 21 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The bottom of the trough isclosed by a bottom wall 22 (FIG. 4). This bottom wall 22 is undulatingin shape, forming a plurality of spaced fingers 23 projectingsubstantially below the rest of the trough. Each of the fingers, on itslower end, has an inwardly directed boss 24. The purpose of the bosseswill appear more fully hereinafter.

The walls of the fingers 23 curve upwardly and outwardly into thebottoms of those portions of the trough on each side of the finger.Thus, the intermediate portions of the trough form bridges 25 betweenthe fingers. These bridges serve as structural reinforcements for thefingers. They cooperate with the fingers to give them sufficientstrength and resistance to deflection to form a secure grip yetpermitting the fingers sufficient resiliency that they may be spread topass over and lock about the ridge surrounding the tap opening of thebarrel. To further increase this characteristic of resiliency andability to clamp about an object, the outer wall 21 of each of thefingers is provided with reinforcements in the form of the outwardlyconcave reinforcement beads 26. These beads are narrow circumferentiallyof the wall and are elongated vertically of the wall. They extend from ashort distance below the top of the Wall almost to the bottom of each ofthe fingers. One of the reinforcement beads 26 is provided for eachfinger. The action of the beads 26 is in the nature of a spring, urgingthe fingers inwardly.

Those portions of the inner and outer walls 20 and 21 forming the.fingers 23 are both inclined radially inwardly, The bottoms of thefingers 23 even without the bosses 24- define a circle of smallerdiameter than the upper portions of the fingers. The bosses 24 provide asmall, segmented ridge defining a circle of even smaller diameter.

To make the caps, a sheet of suitable synthetic resinous material isselected. The size of the sheet will depend on that which iscommercially available and on the capacity of the equipment available.The material, selected for imprinting the desired indicia on the sheet.

making this sheet must be of a type adapted to forming under vacuumconditions while heated. For this purpose, polystyrene, particularlyhigh-impact polystyrene, has been 'found to be satisfactory.

The sheet is first passed through suitable equipment for This isrepresented by station 30 (FIG. 8). For this purpose silk screening hasbeen found to be quite satisfactory. The indicia 41 (FIG. 9) for aplurality of the caps is printed simultaneously on the sheet at aspacing permitting subsequent cutting of the individual caps from thesheets (FIG. 9). While the indicia 41 normally is printed only in theportions of the sheet which ultimately will become the central portion12 of the formed cap, it may be printed -in the portions which willbecome the outer portion surrounding the trough or even that portionwhich will be formed into the trough. If it is printed on a portionwhich will be deformed or stretched during forming, the

printing may be so shaped at the time of application that after formingthe reshaping of the sheet will cause the printing to assume anon-distorted shape.

While a number of materials are suitable for printing the indicia 41, acellulose base ink having a solvent which also is a solvent for theresinous material of the sheet has been found particularly desirable.Such an ink tends to etch the surface of the sheet, creating animpression which is both of a contrasting color and is so embeddedanchored to the sheet that it will not flake or rub off. It becomes anintegral part of the sheet. A solvent is selected which evaporatesrapidly and only a small quantity is applied in the printing process.Thus the solvent is only present in such quantities and for such a shortperiod that it will etch only the surface of the sheet stock.

After the sheet stock 40 has been printed, it is passed to station 31(FIG. 3) where it is heated by suitable means such as infra-redradiation. Infra-red radiation is particularly suitable for thisheating. However, other types of heat sources'may be used. This heatingis continued only to the point of softening the sheet sufficiently thatit can be formed in the vacuum mold at station 31.

The heated sheet is then placed on the mold 34 (FIGS. 10 and 11) atstation 31 (FIG. 8). The mold contains a plurality of cavities 42 eachdesigned to form one cap. These cavities 42 are so spaced that onlysuflicient distance remains between the caps that they may be properlycut from the sheet 40 after forming. By means of the conduits 43 (FIG.10) air is withdrawn from under the sheet at each cavity and thesoftened sheet is drawn into the trough cavities 44 and the ridgecavities 48 of the mold by air pressure exerted on the sheets'uppersurface. In so doing, the sheet is reshaped in the trough cavity to formthe bridges25 and fingers 23. This will not cause distortion of thecentral portion 12 of the cap because the depth of the cavity 44 is onlyabout one-fourth of an inch while the finished caps are two andfive-eighths inches or more in diameter. This is not sulficient toresult in pulling of the center portion and consequent distortion of theindicia 41. The shape of the cavity creates a zone of substantialresistance to drawing or pulling.

To draw material from the center of the disk requires stretching thecentral portion of the disk, creating appreciable resistance. If it isdesired to provide further assurance against stretching or distortion ofthe central portion of the disk, suitable clamping means may be providedat this point. The drawing of the disk into the trough cavity 44 occursrapidly. Vacuum is simultaneouslyapplied to the conduits 45 to form theperipheral ridge 14.

The mold 34 is kept chilled by water or other cooling means circulatedthrough suitable openings 46 in the molds. This efiects rapid setting ofthe plastic after it makes contact with'the walls of the mold. Thisproduces a rapid operating cycle, permitting the sheet .to be removedfrom the mold almost immediately after forming. It is important toutilize a production rate high 4 enough to make these caps economicallyfeasible. It will be recognized that the showing of the mold 34 isschematic only and that molds of various constructions and havingvarious types of equipment to operate them may be used in connectionwith this invention. The mold itself and its operating mechanism form nopart of the invention. Accordingly, more detailed description of themold is not considered necessary to a full disclosure of this invention.v

The sheet 40, after forming, is transported to station 33 (FIG. 8) wherethe individual caps are cut from the sheet. This may be accomplished byany suitable type of equipment. Preferably it should be equipmentsuitable for blanking out all of the caps simultaneously or at least acomplete row of them in each operating cycle.

The application of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. It is nowconventional practice to utilize beer barrels of metal construction. Insome instances barrels of plastic construction are being employed. Thisinvention is designed for use with either type.

While there are barrels of various designs, the most commonly useddesign is illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the sides 50 of the barrel wherethey join the top 51 are formed into an upstanding rim 52. At the centerof the top is a recess 53 surrounding the tap opening 54. The tapopening is surrounded by a collar 55 having a radially extending flange56 at its upper end. The upper end of the collar 55 is substantiallyflush with the outer surface of the barrel top 51. The collar 55 issecured to the barrel by any suitable means such as welding. The tapopening is normally closed by a cork 57 mounted in the collar 55.

The cap 10 is installed by pressing it over the flange 56 of the collar55. This causes the finger 23 to spread as it passes around the flange.The depth of the fingers 23 is such that when the cap is seated on thecollar 55 the bosses 24 at the lower end of the fingers 23 seat underthe bottom edge of the flange 56, locking the cap in place. Theresiliency of the fingers 23 urges the fingers against the flange 56,firmly seating the bosses 24 under the flange. The inward inclination ofthe fingers 23 tends to pull the cap 10 tightly down upon the collar 55.

The cap 10 has a diameter greater than that of the recess 53. Whenseated on the collar 55, the peripheral ridge 14 is pressed down againstthe outer surface of the barrel top 5-1 radially outwardly of therecess. At this point it seals the recess against the entrance of dirt.The use of the cap not only prevents entrance of dirt into the recess 53and around the exterior of the collar 55 but it protects the end of thecork 57 from dirt. Since these corks are dislodged by pushing them intothe barrel by insertion of the tap, protecting the end of the cork fromcontamination helps to keep the beer in more sanitary condition.

This invention makes the cost of these caps so negligible that it isentirely feasible to use them once and discard them when the barrel istapped. This makes them particularly desirable as a protective cover forthe tap Opening during transportation, handling and storage of thefilled barrels. Where the user wishes to be careful with the barrel hemay remove the cap 10 at the time the barrel 7 is tapped and restore itwhen the barrel is empty. This wise.

will prevent the entrance of insects, dirt and other sources ofcontamination while the barrel is being returned to the brewery. This isparticularly desirable because it elirni-' expressly state other- Iclaim:

1. A cover for the tap opening of a barrel, said cover comprising: adisk; a plurality of spaced hollow fingers projecting downwardly fromsaid disk; said fingers being arranged in a circle spaced inwardly fromthe perimeter of said disk; said fingers away from said disk beinginclined radially inwardly and being joined by bridges of lesser depth;an elongated reinforcement head on the outer wall of each of saidfingers, said reinforcement beads projecting radially outwardly fromsaid fingers.

2. A cover for the tap opening of a barrel, said tap opening beingsurrounded by a fitting having a terminal flange, said fitting beingseated in a depression in said barrel with the terminal flange of saidfitting substantially flush with the plane of the surface of said barrelsurround ing said depression, said cover comprising: a disk having anannular trough therein spaced from the perimeter thereof; said troughbeing generally V-shaped in cross section; the bottom wall of saidtrough at spaced intervals project- 6 ing downwardly to form fingersjoined by bridges of substantially lesser depth; said trough beingradially inwardly inclined with said fingers engaged over said terminalflange and the perimeter of said disk seated on the surface of thebarrel beyond the depression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,982,806 Hayes Dec. 4, 1934 1,994,991 Gabriel et a1 Mar. 19, 19352,006,747 Ritz-Weller July 2, 1935 2,010,109 Rice Aug. 6, 1935 2,013,527Sherman Sept. 3, 1935 2,430,035 Thornburgh Nov. 4, 1947 2,462,940 BowesMar. 1, 1949 2,533,934 Henchert Dec. 12, 1950 2,660,761 Peters Dec. 1,1953 2,829,794 Epps Apr. 8, 1958

